Der Neue Hauptmann¹

Source

Hauptmann Oster stood before his assembled senior sergeants and the only other officer in the small battalion he was leading to the west. He kept patting and touching his throat just above his collar, as if looking for something.

Krafft heard a man behind say, sotto voce, "Oster's missing his tin tie today, he does that when he's nervous."

It struck Krafft, Oster was a Ritterskreuzträger,² yet he was not wearing the medal, which hung on a ribbon around the neck, normally. Perhaps he'd lost it during the retreat. It couldn't have been that long ago if he was still conscious of the medal's absence.

"So, meine Herren,³ gather around and have a look at the map."

Once the men had crowded in, Oster continued, "We are here," he said, stabbing at the map with his right forefinger, "the Massower Heide, some fifty kilometers from the center of Berlin, where all the Russians in this hemisphere want to get to before all of the other Russians. Zhukov wants to beat everybody else but Konev and Rokossovsky plan to give him a run for his money."

"So, we are not an immediate problem for all of those Ivans, they're going to Berlin, to visit the Führer, we, on the other hand, are heading west as fast as our legs can get us there. We have no vehicles, no Panzers, no wagons, nothing of any interest to an Ivan up in the sky. And we've been keeping to the forests where the roads are shit, at best. Nothing a self-respecting Communist would need to get his boys to Berlin first. So we are safe, relatively. There are, no doubt, the odd fanatic here and there who desperately wants to die for the Fatherland, between us and the Elbe River. We need to avoid them as well."

Oster looked up, his bespectacled lieutenant had a hand tentatively raised, as if to ask a question.

"Yes, Leutnant, a question? Or perhaps you need to go pee?"

The man blushed, not one man in the gathering laughed.

"Your plans always spark a need to urinate, Herr Hauptmann."

That drew a laugh.

"At least you're honest Klaus, now what is it?"

"We have two hundred and ninety seven men, with the addition of Stabsfeldwebel Krafft's platoon. I think we need to reorganize things a bit, perhaps move Krafft's men into our existing structure."

"If we were on a field exercise at Truppenübungsplatz Döberitz⁴ that would be a wonderful idea. However, we're not. For now I shall keep Krafft's men attached directly to my headquarters. They have done a superb job staying alive on their own, I see no need to break them up. If that is okay with you, little brother?"

"Aber natürlich, Herr Hauptmann."

Krafft, Lang, and Liesl sat together, eating their ration bread and yet another sawdust-laden bratwurst.

Lang spat a chunk into the underbrush, "That was more tree than pig. How dare they call this bratwurst?"

Liesl laughed, a sound which delighted both men, "I swear Kurt, do you ever see the good in anything?"

Lang grinned, "Well to be sure, gnädige Frau⁵, I'm sure that sausage could be made into a very serviceable chair, it's just that I'm no carpenter."

The three laughed, then Kurt spoke again, "What do you think of our new commander?"

"Well, I spoke with two of the other senior sergeants, Oster is something of a legend. Commissioned at 18, in 1940. Won the Iron Cross 2nd Class in France, then the 1st Class during Barbarossa. That Leutnant really is Oster's kid brother. Won the Knight's Cross during the retreat of Army Group Center last summer, was also given a battalion command ..."

"As a junior officer?" Liesl asked.

"Sure, they don't have to pay them as much." Lang quipped, for which Liesl swatted him.

"Yes, one of the younger battalion commanders in the army I suppose. At any rate, he is constantly rubbing at his throat, looking for his lost medal. Seems it was stolen somewhere along the retreat. He might have misplaced it, but Hauptfeldwebel Jasinski said the man would sooner misplace his leg than his medal."

"One other thing, he always refers to himself in the third person, which gets confusing when his brother is around."

The three turned to see who was joining them, Krafft blushed, it was Hauptmann Oster.

Oster nodded at Liesl, "You must be the lady of Seelow that I've heard about."

Liesl nodded, "I've been with the army, well, this platoon of the 26th, since then."

"Oster understands that your husband died at Stalingrad."

She was disconcerted by Oster's manner of speaking, so she answered bluntly.

"He didn't die, he was killed, slaughtered by the Russians no doubt. Why do you men use such euphemisms as 'fallen' or 'died' - one dies after a sickness or an injury, my husband was shot and killed, instantly according to the Army."

Oster bowed his head slightly, "Apologies, gnädige Frau, Oster meant no disrespect. You are blunt spoken, a soldier's woman to be sure."

He reached into his greatcoat and brought out a Soldbuch⁶. I've had this made up for you, we can't do a photograph but we could use one from your civilian papers, if you still have them ..."

"I do."

"Excellent! At any rate, I have had you enrolled as a Wehrmachthelferin⁷, these papers make it official. So you may keep wearing that uniform and not worry about getting shot as a spy, by the Reds or our own brand of fanatic. Well, they can still shoot you, but it won't be legal."

Lang muttered, "A great comfort, I'm sure." Which earned him a dirty look from both Liesl and the captain.

"So, I guess I'm in the army now."

"Yes indeed you are, schatzi, and I could get in trouble for fraternization."

Liesl sat up abruptly, "Do you and Kurt take anything seriously?"

"Staying alive, and keeping our troops, and those we love, alive," he patted her on the knee, "we take that very seriously. Everything else? Not really. Stay in the army long enough and you begin to see that much of life is simply moving from one disaster to another. Even for civilians. Do you know any farmers?"

She scoffed, "There are many in my village, most of the people there live by farming."

"Your family were not, I take it?"

"Nein, remember I'm not from there, simply lived there after my husband and I married, his people were farmers, mine were not."

"Ever notice how closely they watch the weather? Too much rain and the crop is ruined, not enough, the same. Everything has to be just so. In many ways a farmer moves from one calamity to the next, hoping to reap enough to keep his family fed."

"And how is that like the Army?" she asked.

"Well, we go from calamity to calamity, hoping to stay alive. It's not exactly the same but do you see my point?"

"I think so."

"Do you understand the problem before us?"

"That I do understand, we must make it to the Elbe, some one hundred fifty kilometers and not get stopped, or killed, by any of the three armies contesting the ground between here and there. Do I get it?"

"Yes, you do. So for now we rest, and hope for the best, tomorrow will be upon us before you know it."

She lay down next to him and sighed.

"One thing is for certain." she whispered.

"What is that, schatzi?"

"As long as we're together, things will be alright."

A voice came out of the shadows, "Are you two going to talk all night. A fellow can't get any sleep with you two around."

"And Kurt," she muttered, "wouldn't be the same without him."

Krafft chuckled, "No, it certainly would not."

¹ The new captain, as opposed to this one.

² Holder of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

³ So, gentlemen ...

⁴ A major military training area used by the German Army for over 300 years. West of Berlin near Dallgow-Döberitz in Brandenburg.

⁵ Gracious lady, madam.

⁶ Paybook

⁷ Female Armed Forces Helper, women serving the military as auxiliaries.